Chapter 41
Chapter forty-one
Cooper
Ryder adjusts his hat before standing from the chair across from my desk. We had a game plan for tomorrow morning, and with all hands on deck, we figured three days was plenty to get the job done.
Maddox is seated on the edge of an old file cabinet, smiling at his phone like a lovesick fool. Not that I’m complaining. I’m stoked that he loves my sister so much.
“Y’all got plans?” I ask.
Ryder shrugs. “Maddox mentioned something about dove hunting in a couple of hours.”
Maddox lifts his head. “Saw some in the pasture behind our cabin. Perfect spot.”
“You coming?” Ryder asks.
“Yeah. Let me check with Kota.”
Ryder just shakes his head before leaving the office while Maddox chuckles. “You got it as bad as I do.”
Pushing to my feet, I shoot him a look. “Think so?”
He slaps a hand on my shoulder. “Coop, you ain’t fooling nobody. Especially me.”
My laugh echoes in the barn as we walk through the alleyway. My boots hit the gravel when my phone rings.
I frown, swiping the screen. “This is Cooper.”
“Cooper, it’s Jefferson.”
I freeze at the sound of the familiar officer’s voice. “What happened?”
“There’s been an accident.”
The sliding doors to the ER part as I storm through the opening. Maddox barley got the truck stopped before I was climbing out and hauling ass inside the building.
The first person I see is Jefferson. He’s Ivy’s age, but I knew him well.
“Where is she?” My throat feels tight and my skin taunt.
He holds up his palms. “She’s ok. No one was seriously injured.”
I stop right in front of him, peering down into his eyes. “Jefferson. I’m only gonna ask you one more time. Where is my wife?”
He swallows, taking a step back. “Follow me.” He turns on his heels. “But you need to calm the fuck down, Coop. You’ll scare them.”
Them. Shit, Ari.
He leads me back to a room with a few curtains separating beds along the back wall. He motions to the one on the far right.
“She’s right here.”
It seems like it takes an eternity to cross the room. My hand grips the white curtain, and I slowly slide it back, revealing my entire world sitting cross legged on a hospital bed, talking to an officer. A bandage is placed over her temple, and her hair is piled up on top of her head.
Blue eyes meet mine and she immediately jumps from the bed. Relief sweeps through me the second her body is against mine.
She’s ok. Alive.
“I’m here,” I whisper into her hair.
She sniffs, her arms winding around my neck.
“Is Ari ok?” I ask, kissing her hair.
“She’s ok. The nurse took her down to get a snack in the cafeteria.”
She pulls back to look at me. “It could have been so much worse.”
“What happened?” I ask, running my finger over the skin by her bandage.
“Mrs. Mayson. I hate to interrupt, but I need to finish getting your statement. It’s usually best when the incident is fresh.” The female officer gives a gentle smile.
Incident?
“You were in a car accident. Was someone else involved?”
Dakota steps away, climbing back onto the bed. I already hate the distance, so I follow, pulling up a chair next to the bed and grip her hand in mine.
“Let’s start from the beginning.” The officer clears her throat. “Start when you left the ice cream shop.”
Dakota squeezes my hand, then begins to recite what happened.
Fire swims in my veins the more she reveals. The black dodge. The aggressive behavior. I was so fucking mad I almost missed her last words.
“Wait, what?” I scowl. “He rammed you off the fucking road?”
“Yes. He hit us three times,” Dakota says, her hand tightening in mine.
Someone hit her on purpose.
“Is there anyone you can think of who would do this? Anyone that has possibly become an enemy?” The officer asks.
My eyes catch on Dakota’s and for a split second, fear slashes across her face.
“I mean…not off the top of my head.”
“Her father,” I state.
“Your father?” She lifts a brow at Dakota.
“It can’t be him. They are supposed to notify me if he gets released.” Dakota frowns. “I haven’t gotten anything.”
“He’s in prison?” The officer jots something on her notepad.
“Yes. He called me a few weeks ago and told me he was getting out, but I haven’t heard from him since.
We don’t communicate often. He usually spits lies anyway.
” Dakota fidgets with a white blanket on the bed with her free hand.
“The courts are supposed to send me a letter notifying me of his release.”
“Ok. Has there been anything else? Anything suspicious?”
She goes to answer no but pauses.
“What is it?” I press.
“A note.” She shakes her head. “I chalked it up to someone just being an ass.”
“What note? You didn’t tell me about a note?” Suddenly, my anger is back in full force.
“I know. I wasn’t even sure what it was.”
“What did it say?” The officer asks.
“It said, you deserve what's coming.” Dakota drops my hand and leans her head down. “I thought….”
“Someone is stalking you.” My tooth practically cracks as I clench my jaw. “You need to find Billy Sterling. Now.”
“Why would he want to hurt you?” The officer asks, glancing at her notepad.
Dakota hesitates before peering over at me, the memory of that day still heavy on her heart. “Because I’m the one who put him in prison.”